Gov’t needs 196 trillions to achieve a middle income status by 2040

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By Jael Namiganda
Government needs 196 trillion shillings for infrastructure construction to realise its projected vision 2040 that aims at driving Uganda into a middle income country.
This has been revealed by the prime minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda while opening up the public private partnership workshop at protea hotel funded by the British high commission Kampala through the ministry of finance.
The prime minister said that government will be able to raise 113 trillion shillings during the remaining period and the balance is expected to come from the development partners.
Dr Rugunda has tasked the ministers who are attending the workshop to ensure that the public private partnership is effiently implemented since its the way to go for government to realise its goals of developing the country.
He added that public private partnership will help in better risk management, efficient delivery of government projects in time and within the budget.
The finance minister Matia Kasaija noted that government has put in place the law that will guide the implementation of public private partnership in the country and among the projects that are yet to kick start is the Kampala Jinja express highway where motorists will have to pay a fee to use the road.
However the acting director public private partnership Beatrice Flora Ikalai expressed concern that the bill that is before the cabinet has some challenge because it exempts some vehicles from paying.
She notes that all vehicles including the vvip and state house must pay to enable the private individuals to get their money.
She adds that if the such vehicles are exempted government will have to pay that money.
She added that according to the servey they have conducted 50% of the motorists accepted to pay a fee to use the alternative road at a projected fee of 5000 shillings.